We’re honored to share that our CEO, Kristen Williams, had the pleasure of being interviewed by Brandon Dunn for MO Greenway’s Women to Watch series! The Women to Watch series is meant to highlight all of the amazing women in Missouri’s budding cannabis industry. The interviewees range from healthcare professionals turned businesswomen to lawyers, and we are so excited that Kristen had a chance to talk about Hempsley!

The interview featured questions focused why Kristen chose to enter the cannabis industry, the challenges associated with being a woman in the industry, and the exciting future of the industry. Here’s a brief snippet from the article’s introduction: (Be sure to read the rest of the article to see the questions and Kristen’s answers!)

You may recognize the name or face, as we’ve been lucky enough to share features written by Kristen Williams, CEO and creative director of Hempsley, in the past. Over the past two years, Williams has taken her one woman brand and turned it into a resource for a growing community, and a staple in a rising industry. But growth and recognition did not come without struggle.

Williams said, “Two years ago, CBD was not as popular as it is now and while lots of people and companies were supportive of me on the down-low, no one wanted to publicly associate with Hempsley, whether it was hanging a sign in their store or liking our Facebook post. It took a lot of patience and relationship building to gain trust in the community.”

“Beyond the other myriad of challenges, the mountain we’re facing now is payment processing for our ecommerce shop. As a ‘startup,’ we don’t have the financial backing to get us any kind of reasonable rates right now, and it’s significantly hindering our business.” But through perseverance and dedication, Williams is no longer alone. “I have been the sole owner,” Williams explains, “Starting in July 2019, we are converting to the Slicing Pie equity model and I will have two other joint owners.”

Recently, Williams was kind enough to take time out of her busy schedule to tell us more about herself, Hempsley, why she chooses cannabis, and what it’s like being a woman in the cannabis industry.

We would like to thank Brandon Dunn from MO Greenway for interviewing Kristen and giving her an opportunity to talk about Hempsley. It’s so great to see a series focused on giving a spotlight to all of the incredible women working hard to succeed in the cannabis industry!